Michael Martin, great-great Grandson of Matthew Cochrane recently got in touch with CHAPS President Larry Want. He provided more information on the history of the Cochrane Ranche Company and some details on his lineage.
Here is his email to CHAPS.
”One of Senator Cochrane’s daughters (Ermina Maria) married my great-grandfather Charles Cassils in 1876 so I thought I’d get in touch. The history of Cochrane Ranche after the original ranche folded and its property was sold off to the Mormon Church didn’t end in the early part of the 1900’s….
The Cassils branch of the Cochrane family lived in Montreal and that’s where I live.
The Senator had nine children as far as I’m aware – I think this website is mostly correct: https://baladodecouverte.com/circuits/356/poi/2987/matthew-henry-cochrane but I don’t have a Cochrane family tree – only a Cassils one that goes back as far as Charles and Ermina Maria. Here’s an early picture of her….
The Senator died in 1903 in Compton, south-east of Montreal (where he was born) and I think his sons sold off his farm there called ‘Hillhurst’.
The company itself sold its assets to the Mormons, not the Senator – and the company was wound up in about 1909 or so. In the winding up process, they didn’t realize that the Ranche owned mineral rights in the Pincher Creek area and those rights were left dormant until oil and gas drilling in the 1950’s brought them to light. When that occurred, a shareholders list was re-constituted and the Cochrane Ranche (1962) Company was formed – it’s now called Cochrane Ranche Inc. and for my many and varied sins, I’m its current President. Many shareholders are Senator Cochrane descendants or those of families he persuaded to invest in the original 1888 Ranche.
Family members of mine have visited there – I’m not sure of the Museum but the cowboy statue for sure. I’m not in Montreal at the moment but I do have some 100+ year old papers which I’ll look over when I am back there towards the end of June. The corporation isn’t having much success these days with current prices being so low. ”
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